Of The Sun And Moon
by Velvien
Summary: Darkness and light. Rebel and noble. Impulse and reason. Polar opposites on different sides of a war that should never form such bonds. A collection of Ragna/Tsubaki drabbles and short stories.
1. OSW: Rhyming History

**A/N: Hello all. Before I go on, let me just say one thing: no, the M rating is not a guarantee of lemons. It's more or less a precaution; romantic situations are going to get a bit spicier than they did in OSW. That doesn't mean lemons absolutely won't happen, though; we'll just have to see.**

**Speaking of which, these drabbles aren't necessarily romantic in nature, either. Yes, the majority of them will lean that way, but don't be surprised if some have Ragna and Tsubaki at each other's throats. In fact, you can pretty much expect a few like that.**

**Some of these drabbles will have 'OSW' as part of their name. As you might guess, these take place in the same continuity as On Strange Wings. If you haven't read it, you might be somewhat confused as to what's going. Okay, I think that's enough talking for now. On to the drabbles.**

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><p>For the third day in a row, she sat beside his comatose figure, gripping his hand. Still as a corpse, she observed every detail; the tapestry of pain carved into his face, the bend at the bridge of his nose, and the great trench ripped into his belly, the crown jewel of his wounds. Most would refuse to look at such a gash; she had no qualms directing her gaze at it anymore.<p>

With a sigh, Tsubaki closed her eyes in thought. Three days ago, she had awoken with a splitting headache to the news that in spite of her efforts, in spite of Makoto and Tager arriving, Ragna's chances of survival were miniscule. At best. Litchi's words had been the emotional equivalent to a wrecking ball slamming into her. Without waiting to hear her own prognosis, Tsubaki had headed straight for Ragna's side, tearing up when she saw him. She had refused Litchi's demands to leave, to let the doctor operate on him without interference. Instead, she had remained at his side in silence, watching as Litchi stitched up the deepest cut.

Litchi had gone outside afterward; no one had seen her since, and a distraught Linhua was left to finish treating Ragna. And through it all, Tsubaki didn't budge, his hand in her iron grip. The only times she had left were to eat and sleep, a fact Makoto teased her about every time she stepped out. "Just admit you're totally crushing on him already; it's even more obvious than with Jin."

Her instinctive denials did nothing to dissuade Makoto, nor did she expect them to. But once she was away from her friend and had time to internalize the jibes, she couldn't help but admit there was truth to Makoto's words. Even now, despite Ragna's state, she could feel the same pull that once called her towards Jin in her academy days.

She sighed at the thought of Jin, the first sound she'd made since coming to Ragna's bedside that morning. Probably the first time she'd moved, too. What she'd felt towards Jin...it had gone well beyond simple friendship. Of course, nothing ever came out of it. There had been many times when something _could_ have if either of them had willed it. So, if they were so close to love, why couldn't she have told him? Was it due to her reserved nature, a product of noble upbringing? A certain brand of shyness? Perhaps a subconscious desire to always see him as a brother, and nothing more? She doubted she could ever be sure. Over and over, as she lay waiting for sleep, she convinced herself that she would kick her whatever was holding her back tomorrow. And then, with minimal warning, Jin was gone, swept up by the Ikaruga Civil War to become a hero, leaving her behind. That mythic 'tomorrow' eternally on her mind disappeared forever.

And now, here she was, faced with the same dilemma. Tsubaki knew damn well that she cared for Ragna, that her feelings for this man she met less than a week ago ran deeper than they had any right to. He'd shown care towards her even when she was convinced she could never _not_ hate him, and she'd responded by risking her life to save his. There was no doubt in her mind that what she felt was shared by Ragna. She wanted to find out for herself to what exact depth they rooted themselves, to see if there was any chance Ragna would reciprocate. But..._what if I can't bring myself to tell him? What if it's Jin all over again_? After all, a woman of her social stature shouldn't just throw herself at a guy she had met days earlier. And besides, what if he rebuked her advances? What if doing so damaged the friendship they had built in such little time? What if...

The door opened, and Tsubaki didn't have to look to know who had just entered. Makoto strolled up to her, concerned for her friend. "Hey, Tsubaki? Um, just thought I'd let you know it's after two."

Tsubaki blinked. "Already?"

The comforting touch of Makoto's hand on her shoulder preceded the beastkin's response. "Yep. You've been in here all day. Again. Why can't you admit you like him?"

"Well, of course I like him..."

"No, I mean _like him_ like him. You know, like with Jin."

"I...don't like him like that..." A bold-faced lie, and Tsubaki knew she wasn't fooling Makoto in the slightest. "He's just a friend."

"Uh-huh. Sure. A friend you'll get yourself killed for."

"He's the best hope we have. I couldn't just let him die..."

"Okay, so you have a case of hero worship towards him."

"No, I-"

"That doesn't explain why you won't leave his side. Won't let go of his hand." She smirked. "_Admit it~._"

Tsubaki sighed, knowing she was defeated. "Why are you being so pushy about this?"

"Look, Tsubaki. I just want you to be happy, and I remember how devastated you were when Jin was sent to Ikaruga."

"...It was that obvious?"

"Eh...to me, yeah. I don't think anyone else, except maybe Noel, really noticed. But anyways. I don't want to see you go through that again, so here's what you're gonna do when he wakes up. You're gonna take him in your arms and tell him just how you feel about him. Oh, and then smooch him. Right on the mouth."

The suggestion left Tsubaki's entire face burning. "What? No! I'm not about to do something like...that."

"Well, that's what I would do..." Makoto shrugged. "But anyways. I'm gonna keep being pushy about this until _you_ realize that if you don't make a move, it'll be your schoolgirl crush on Jin all over again. Just give it a shot before it's too late."

"...I'm going to get lunch." Tsubaki stood up and headed towards the door, her mind not too concerned with food. "...I suppose I should bring something back for Ragna. You know, in case he wakes up while I'm out."

"Cool. Just remember to hold the pickles this time; I don't really care for them."

"It's not for...never mind." Tsubaki smirked as she left the clinic. Might as well get a sandwich tailored to Makoto's taste; there was little chance Ragna would awaken, after all. Without warning, without thinking about what she was doing, she came to a stop in the middle of the street. Makoto was right; she had to let Ragna know how she felt. This was more than an academy-days crush. She had stood at the gates of Hell with him, had protected him from the devil made flesh. She had put her life on the line, going beyond what was reasonable.

Whenever Ragna woke—as he would, no way he could die on her now—she would show him, in private intimacy, that her feelings for him went beyond friendship. Whether they had become romantic in nature, she needed to find for herself. And she would not cast her hopes on a phantom tomorrow, for it was not guaranteed that such a thing existed.

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><p><strong>AN: For some reason, I'm not too sure about this one...  
><strong>


	2. OSW: Night Of The First Day

"So..." Tsubaki tossed her bag onto the snow-capped grass and dropped to the ground, breathing heavy. Her first time outside of the climate control Ars had proven rougher than expected. "What's to eat?"

"Thought you bought food." Nowhere near as tired as Tsubaki, Ragna placed his bag on the ground and kicked the powdery precipitation away to clear a spot.

"Nothing for dinner, unless you want a sandwich. I was kind of thinking those would be lunch tomorrow, though."

"Sandwich ain't gonna be enough for dinner." He sat down, frowning. "Guess I'm gonna have to hunt something down."

Tsubaki nodded, eyes closing. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize. Ain't your fault." He scooted next to her, placing on arm over her shoulders. "Besides, this what I do normally when I'm traveling. Just gotta live off whatever you can find."

Exhausted, she leaned against him. "Still. I can't believe I didn't think of it."

"Well, we'll be able to get a bite in town tomorrow; I think we can stand this for one night." He glared at the ground around him. "Damn snow's gonna make cooking a pain in the ass, though."

"Hm?"

Ragna stood up, glancing around the darkened copse. "I gotta go find some dry wood; really, we should've stopped before night fell, but too late now."

She rose with him, trying to cut away her fatigue. "I'll help you."

"You sure? You look beat."

"No, I'm fine."

Ragna frowned at her before sighing. He couldn't bring himself to deny her. "Okay, fine. Gather as many sticks as you can. Wet ones. Shouldn't be too hard. Worst comes to worst, start slicing up trees. I'm gonna see if there's anything I can use for firewood."

"And if there's not?"

"...We could always burn those clothes you bought. That should work."

His comment earned him an elbow to the ribs, although Tsubaki couldn't hide the smile cracking on her face. "I paid good money for those; we're not burning them."

"Then you'd better hope I find some wood. See you in a bit." He wandered off, shivering in the cold. Tsubaki watched him disappear into the trees before searching around, a storm of thoughts entering her mind. Just two weeks ago, she was a soldier in the NOL, a lifelong dream realized. She wore the ivory robes of Zero Squadron with pride, carried out assignments with fervor. And then she had succumbed to a moment of hunger and encountered a certain criminal.

As she crouched down to pick up a pair of sticks, Tsubaki smiled. Two weeks with Ragna the Bloodedge had flipped her life around. Her uniform, and all pride that she had worn it with, lay in ashes, replaced by Ragna's blood-red jacket for the moment. The mere fact that she had once been a zealot for the Library was a brand of shame. All the years she had poured into dedicating herself to the NOL were rendered pointless by these last few weeks, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She had thought she'd been happy serving the NOL with all the autonomy of a robot; she knew she had found joy in aiding Ragna in his fight.

Joy, and a certain sense of freedom. Her obligations as a soldier and as a member of the Duodecim were gone. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she could do anything she pleased. No need to act as nobility, to be reserved and cultured and all those things beaten into her from childhood. It was a kind of independence she had never considered. Had she never met Ragna, she doubted she ever would have.

Footsteps alerted her to his return and Tsubaki turned around. Ragna dropped a bundle of sticks on a snow-free patch of grass and frowned. Her face burned as she realized she had spaced out and thus collected the whole of five sticks. "Um...sorry, I kinda got lost in thought."

"It's fine, don't apologize." Inside, irritation bubbled, but he refused to allow it to boil over. "Can I see those two big ones there?"

"Of course." Tsubaki handed him the largest sticks. He examined them; a couple of feet long, thick enough for his purposes, and above all, too moist to be set ablaze. He smirked and drove each into the ground, sticking straight up, on either side of his pile. "Perfect. Just, like, four more like that and we'll be good to go."

"Um...may I ask what you're doing here?"

"Yeah. I'll throw in a bonus and show you." After hefting Blood-Scythe, Ragna hacked into the upright end of both sticks, carving notches. He then took one of the thinner branches Tsubaki had collected and forced either end into the grooves, forming a bridge of sorts over the pile. "See that? If we make a couple more of those, we'll have a makeshift grill."

She nodded and smirked at him. "Not bad."

"Eh. Travel around as much as I do, you pick up on this crap. Now, go get a few more of those, and I'll-" He paused, noting the fatigue in her eyes. "No, wait. I'll get more sticks, you go scout for anything we can eat. Fish, deer, whatever. Take Izayoi; there's some pretty nasty shit out there."

"...Got it." His words took a moment to sink in, a testament to grogginess. She wandered off, a numbed grip on her sword. Her path took her in the opposite direction Ragna had gone when looking for firewood; if he hadn't found anything, no point going that way. It didn't take long for her to hear something; the quiet burbling of a stream cut through the night. Certain she was still in earshot of Ragna, should either find anything, she headed towards the sound. Her eyes, tired though they were, darted around as they scanned the darkness. She had no doubt Ragna had been dead serious with his warning; of course, it would have been nice if he'd said what to watch out for…

Her foot cracked through ice and numbing water flowed over to drench it. Shivering, she pulled her foot back, surveying the stream she had managed to avoid noticing. It was difficult to tell, but there seemed to be dark figures in the shallow water. She reached a hand, half-hidden by the all-too-large jacket Ragna had loaned her, into the water and shuddered from the frosty chill. The figures darted away and she smiled. "Ragna? I think I found something."

"Where are you?"

"Just follow my voice."

She imagined the grumbling that was no doubt streaming from his mouth and smiled, eyes drifting skyward. The sight of the clear night sky took her breath away. Yes, of course she had observed the stars before; never in too great detail, as she hadn't seen anything particularly special about them. Out here, away from the light pollution of any Hierarchical City, though…'spellbinding' didn't do it justice.

The snapping of a branch alerted her to Ragna's arrival. "Okay, seriously, where the hell are you, Tsu?"

"Over here." She waved to him, not looking away from the sky. It seemed that he saw her; a few moments later, he dropped to his knees by her side, observing the stream.

"Fish, huh? Nice work."

"Mm."

"Huh?" He glanced over at her and followed her eyes. "Oh. Stargazing?"

"They're beautiful."

"Eh. Never cared for 'em. A buncha dots in the sky aren't half as beautiful as you."

_That_ broke her transfixion. Beaming, she leaned against him. "So you really can do flattery."

"I ain't that stupid when it comes to this stuff." He wrapped an arm around her; the fish could wait a few minutes. "What, did you expect an insult or something?"

"Nothing of the sort. If anything, I expected most flattery from you to be irreverent comments like 'hot' instead."

"Well, I was just working with what you gave me. You certainly are that, though."

Her smile broadening, she planted a playful elbow into his side. Ragna rubbed the slight ache it produced. "You sure hit me a lot."

"You practically beg for it sometimes."

"Yeah, I know." Smirking, Ragna pulled her closer by her waist, fingers slipping beneath her black shirt. As they drummed against her skin, he said, "Not that I mind too much."

She squirmed at his touch; that was all that was needed for an idea to root itself in his head. Digging his hand under her shirt, he ran his fingers on her side, tickling her as would a spider's legs. With a shriek, she convulsed, trying to bite down her laughter. "H-hey! Stop that!"

"Or what?"

"I-I think I c-can..." At her limit, she grabbed his wrist and pulled, extending it as far as she could. Her elbow rested over his and she gave him an evil smile. "I think I can exact some level of vengeance. Want to continue?"

"Tickling earns me a broken arm? You wouldn't."

Her arm rose and his attitude changed in a heartbeat. Ragna lowered his head in false penance. "Er, um, I mean...O great and awesome Tsubaki, please forgive my transgressions—I think that's the right word—and don't break my damn arm, please."

Before he had finished, she relinquished her grip on his arm; her laughter was too strong for her to try and maintain her hold. As she doubled over, Ragna quirked an eyebrow. "Okay, I think that was the weirdest crap that I've ever said."

"Maybe if you said it with a shred of sincerity, rather than dripping with sarcasm." Tsubaki rubbed her face up against his chest, still fighting giggles. "Still pretty silly for you, though."

"Heh. Yeah..." With Tsubaki snuggling up to him, Ragna found words failing him once more. _Fine by me_. One arm found its way to her far shoulder again; the other went to caress her cheek. "So...um...holding up okay?"

"So far, yeah. Just...a bit tired at the moment. I'll get used to it, though."

"Yeah, you will. You're too strong not to; a month of this crap and it'll be nothing." He pulled her tighter. "Gotta say, this has been a hell of a lot more enjoyable than when I usually travel."

"Mm..." Her hands locked around the his cheeks and drew his face close enough for their noses to touch. "Glad to hear it."

They moved as one to join in a brief kiss. After they broke apart, Ragna said, "You know, we should probably take care of these fish already."

"I suppose." Tsubaki took to her feet, pulling Ragna with her. "Need any help?"

"Eh, I got it. Why don't you go back to the...um, stick cooking thingy and rest? I'll take it from here."

"If you're sure..." After patting his shoulder, she turned and walked towards where they had set up camp. "See you in a bit, Ragna."

"Yeah."

Nothing accosted her on the way back, but no sooner did Tsubaki lay down against her bag than a roar broke out across the grove. "Dead Spike!"

She sat up, well-honed senses focusing on anything that may present a threat. The rustle of wind blowing through trees, the odd shadow by the bush... nothing seemed to be there, but she kept her grip on Izayoi. "Ragna?"

His voice came back, faint. "Yeah?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You used your grimoire..."

"You'll see why in a minute."

Satisfied that all was well enough, she laid back down to wait for him. The chattering of teeth first signaled her to Ragna's return. Her eyes opened and she felt her cheeks burn at the sight that greeted her. Ragna, his entire upper body bare, carried a collection of fish in his discarded shirt towards the pile of sticks. "Cold. Freaking cold. Terrible idea. I'm an idiot."

He dumped the fish onto the grass under the keen eye of Tsubaki and started to slip on his shirt. Tsubaki, forcing herself to not gawk at him, said, "Uh, I don't think that's really fit for being worn at the moment..."

Her words rang true an instant later as Ragna shuddered. "Gah! Slimy. And cold. Need shirt."

Hurling it to the side, he dug into his bag and produced a long-sleeved shirt. As he threw it on, he glanced over at Tsubaki's bag. He opened it up and chucked a pair of pants to her. "Hey. It's gonna get even colder. Put these on."

She stared at them. "I hope you mean for me to slip them on over what I'm wearing, because I'm not stripping in front of you. Especially not in this weather."

"Yeah, over what you're wearing. Unless you want your legs to go numb about midnight or so."

Tsubaki nodded as she forced them on. It was rather uncomfortable, but she decided to trust Ragna's judgment on the matter. _Of course, if something does attack, this does kind of hinder my movements_. Drowsiness raining harder upon her than ever, she sat back against a tree, fighting to keep her eyes open. After Ragna finished with the gathering of sticks, she said, "So, why'd you use your grimoire?"

"Fishing."

"...You used Dead Spike..."

"To kill the fish and blast them out of the water at the same time. Saves a hell of a lotta time."

Tsubaki buried her face in a palm. "Wonderful use of your doomsday weapon."

"Yeah, I know. Don't tell Jubei, alright?"

"...I suppose. Just...refrain from doing that kind of stuff, okay?"

"Well, it's safe...but sure." Ragna crawled over to Tsubaki, eying her weapon. "Okay, do you think you can turn Izayoi into a small knife for a bit?"

She stared at him in astonishment. "First you use the Azure Grimoire to catch fish, now you want to use Izayoi to gut them?"

"Well, Blood-Scythe ain't exactly cut out for that kind of stuff..."

After holding her amazed stare for a moment longer, Tsubaki cracked into chuckles. "Never considered such usage of our weaponry. Sure, I think I can do that."

She took Izayoi in hand and concentrated. The blade shrunk to a fraction of its normal size and she handed it to Ragna. "Just one condition: it comes back entirely free of fish intestines, okay?"

"Got it." After taking the blade, he gave her a grin. "It'll come back covered in fish _stomach_."

"Do you want me to hit you again?"

"Joking, joking..."

As he headed to light the fire, she couldn't help but smirk and shake her head. _Nice to see Ragna in such a good mood; he was really starting to get irritable at the clinic_. She yawned, no longer able to resist her fatigue. "Hey, Ragna? If you don't need any more help, I think I'm gonna take a nap here."

He nodded back in her direction. "Alright. I'll wake you when dinner's ready."

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><p>As it turned out, he didn't need to wake her. She woke on her own a half hour later to the sight of him silhouetted before a blaze. The smell of fish filled the air. Silent, she crawled over to his side, smiling when he glanced at her. "Hey."<p>

"Hey. Fish are just about done; we can probably eat in about ten minutes."

"Mm."

She laid to the side and rested her head in Ragna's lap, watching the flames dance. On instinct, his hand drifted down to caress her cheek, even as his focus remained on the fish. They remained silent as Ragna finished cooking the filets and removed them from the heat, letting them cool off on a nearby stump. He tapped Tsubaki on the shoulder. "Um, we gotta do something quickly."

"Hm?"

She sat up, allowing him to stand and pull her up by the wrist, about as gentle as was possible for someone like Ragna. Taking her hand in his, he held up his right hand, the Azure Grimoire glowing. "Like I said, there's a whole lotta nasty shit out here; seithr-infected dogs that prey on humans and the that kinda crap. And I'd imagine the lot of 'em would be attracted to our meal. So...concealment Ars."

He mumbled underneath his breath and a ring of red light appeared before them. Ragna led Tsubaki through it; she didn't resist in the least, placing full trust in him. After they stepped through, a seal blazed in the ring for a moment before the light vanished. He smirked. "And now nothing will even notice we're here. Just...don't wander too far off; don't wanna have to break the Ars because I couldn't find you."

"Don't worry, I'm way too tired to wander off." They headed back over to the waiting fish; Tsubaki frowned down at the filets as they sat down. "Um...if those things are attracted to the fish, then how is concealing ourselves going to..."

He gave her weird look as he reached out for a bite. "Uh, it's so we don't get attacked, not so they don't snag our food. Though, I gotta say...mystifying seithr dogs with magical flying fish filets? God damn hilarious."

"...Guess I'm too tired for rational thought, as well." Tsubaki chuckled, grabbing a filet for herself. It burned her hand, but she was grateful; it helped her mind become more aware. After taking her first bite, she smiled at him. "It's good."

"Eh. A bit overcooked; guess I'm rusty." He wolfed down the rest of his. "And a bit bland; might see if I can't pick up some spices or something in town tomorrow."

Tsubaki nodded, glancing over at where Blood-Scythe jutted from the ground. An idea struck her. "Hey, Ragna. I was just thinking...it might be a good idea to work on our swordsmanship."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if Terumi finds a way to lock you out of your grimoire again and I decide to stop using Izayoi, all of the abilities we generally rely on would be gone, right? So, I was thinking at some point, we could practice pure swordplay."

"The day Blood-Scythe's edge goes anywhere near you is obviously the day I go insane. Good idea, but..."

She took a second fish. "Of course we wouldn't use live weapons. Especially not _ours_. We could buy sparring weapons in town tomorrow."

"...Whatever. By the way, don't expect to get too full off this crap; I really should'a caught more than six."

"It's fine." A bit of a lie; she imagined she'd be starving by morning. "Besides, it's not like we didn't bring food or anything."

"Yeah." Taking his last fish, he smirked at her. "Couldn't help but notice the metric shit-ton of candy in your bag."

Tsubaki froze up. "I...like...chocolate?"

Ragna chuckled after a moment and drew her up against his side. "You're great, you know that? You really are."

Glowing in light of his words, she leaned against him, eyes closed with joy. Never before, not even with Jin, could such simple words bring such rapture. No, it was more than just his words. "Glad to see you so joyous for once."

"Nothing to _not _be happy about. At least at the moment." He leaned closer. "So, gonna finish?"

Not looking away from his heterochrome eyes, replete of their usual flint-like edge, Tsubaki reached out to grab the last fish. She rested her head against his shoulder and finished her meal in blissful silence, feeling Ragna shiver from the cold. Once she was done, she rose. "Well, thanks for dinner."

"No problem." In contrast with her action, he laid back; she could hear his teeth chatter when a frigid breeze blew by. "What now?"

"...Really, I think I'm going to go ahead to sleep." She looked down at him. "What about you? I can tell you're freezing. Want the jacket back?"

"I'll live. I'd rather I freeze tonight than you."

"Well, I have no intention of letting you freeze." She kneeled beside him and grabbed his wrist. "Here, come with me."

"Huh?" Ragna, curious as to what she had in mind, got up to follow her over to a tree. After a moment, he sat down and leaned back against it at her gesture. "Okay. How does this help me get warm?"

"It doesn't." She sank to her knees, straddling his waist, and leaned forward to embrace him. "I'll kind of act as a blanket for you tonight. Okay?"

It took Ragna a moment to respond. When his mind caught up, he grinned and wrapped his arms around her lower back. "No problems here. I'll let you know if I need to get up."

"Right."

"So...sure you're gonna be able to sleep so close to me?"

Lolling her head against his, she closed her eyes. "I have self-control, so yes."

Although she couldn't see it, he threw her an incubus smile. "Can I test that?"

She smirked. "Do your worst, villain."

"Okay then." He buried his face in the crook of her neck; she gasped aloud when she felt him kiss her. She arched her neck away as he moved along it, giving him access to as much of it as she could. He smirked as her breaths grew louder, more shuddering. Her heart pounded harder, faster, as his mouth found its way just beneath her ear. Any second now, she would cave...

Her hands clamped down around his cheeks and her lips smashed into his; he wouldn't be surprised if she managed to draw blood from the impact. As he returned her kiss, one of her hands slipped down to caress his chest. Sliding so he was lying flat on his back, he removed his gloves. His hands slipped underneath her jacket and shirt, rubbing along her sides. It seemed to serve to spike her passion higher, and Ragna moaned as her tongue stabbed its way into his mouth.

As her other hand gripped his shoulder and nails dug into his flesh, passion overwhelmed him. His hands crept higher up her side, moving on their own autonomy until his thumbs cupped the undersides of her breasts. What little of his mind that wasn't consumed by the fever of lust screamed at him to stop right there, that she wouldn't like it. That voice was obliterated when he felt her tongue again, and one hand slipped under her bra and clenched.

Tsubaki inhaled, sharp as a sword, and tensed up for a moment. After her tension passed, it seemed to Ragna that she gripped him tighter and kissed him deeper than before; he hadn't thought either possible. They lay entwined, the cold holding no effect upon them, for what seemed like an eternity. Panting and sweating, Tsubaki broke off the kiss, eye turning to the hand massaging her chest. With all the nervousness of a cat, Ragna withdrew his hands from her shirt. "Um...sorry."

She shook her head, blushing and breathless. "No. It's...it's fine. I didn't mind."

"Seriously? Thought your noble upbringing would..."

"There's no one around for miles, we're hidden by your Ars and...well, I'm comfortable enough around you now."

"Really." He smirked. "Does that mean-"

"Nothing's coming off, you little lech." In spite of the edge in her words, Tsubaki's smile remained. She leaned closer; he could see the fires of passion burning in her eyes, veiled by the fog of fatigue. "So..."

"Um...I'll be blunt. You look _beat_. We should probably wait until tomorrow night to continue."

"No, I'm fine. I'm not that..." A yawn interrupted her, proving her words wrong before they could even be uttered. Feeling as though she were about to fall asleep right there, Tsubaki rested her head on his chest. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little tired."

Ragna chuckled as he rubbed her back. "That's what I thought. So, I guess this means that we travel by day and do this kinda shit by night."

"It works; whenever we started the whole sparring thing, I say we do it after lunch."

"Sounds good." Running fingers through her hair, Ragna said, "Tsubaki, before you crash for the night, can I talk to you for a minute? It's...um...I just have a lot of things I wanna tell you. Stuff I've been meaning to say."

Tsubaki blinked. Her first instinct was to ask him if it could wait until the morning; the siren's call of sleep trying to drag her into its soothing waters came close to overwhelming her. However, the traces of melancholy in his voice told her to stay awake. "Of course. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well...um..." He sighed, eyes closing. "Remember how I said this traveling business has been more enjoyable than usual so far?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, um..." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. _This so unlike me, but what the hell ever. I gotta say this stuff already. _"I...probably should've said it's the most enjoyable this stuff's ever been. I mean, this is the first time I've ever really traveled with a friend. Hell, first time I've had a friend to travel with."

"Not even Jubei? Or Rachel?"

Ragna chuckled, bitter. "Rachel has her moments, but for the most part, she's a pain in my ass. And Jubei's a mentor; that's different. But you, you're the closest friend I've ever had. And after this, I don't think I could go back to traveling alone again. This first day has been...I dunno...fun. Something I haven't had much of since _that_ day."

Tsubaki nodded, not having to ask what day he meant. One possible event in his life could be referred to that. When she looked in his eyes, she had to hold back a gasp. Ragna the Bloodedge, considered the worst criminal in history and a hardhearted hothead, had tears rolling down his face. They were few, far between and dead silent, but still. He leaned his head forward, resting it against her shoulder. "I've... I've just been so damn _lonely_ for so long now. Never really had friends or anything, so it was pretty much always just me on my own. Yeah, sometimes Jubei or, God forbid, the damn rabbit were with me, but still. And, you know, I don't think I ever realized just how damn lonely I was. You've fixed that."

His mouth curved into a smile. "I've only known you a couple weeks, and yet you've been there for me in ways no one else has. Hell, ways I never thought possible. Meeting you is really the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I could say the same about you." Tsubaki turned her head to kiss his cheek. "You sure seem...I don't know...emotive tonight."

"...Probably. Just never had anyone to say all this to. Anyone to care for, at least not since that day. It's been...I still can't believe how wonderful you are; for someone to care about me like you do, I...I just can't put it into words. I mean, it's not like I'm good with this crap anyways, but still..."

He pulled back to rest a hand on her cheek, to stare straight into her eyes. "You've made me so goddamn happy, I don't what I'd do if...I don't even wanna say it. Thank you so freaking much, Tsubaki. And please..."

"I'm not going to leave you. I promise." She buried her face against his chest. The coldness of the night may as well not have existed anymore. "I can't even begin to imagine how difficult your life has been. And I should be thanking you as well. You've freed me from the shackles of the Library, from being just pawn in Terumi's game. And...well, I love you, Ragna. I absolutely love you."

Ragna's smile broadened, the tears dying at last. _Those are some nice words to fall asleep by_. "Yeah...you too."


	3. Strays, part 1

**A/N: Remember how I said some of these would have Ragna and Tsubaki at each other's throats? Yeah.**

* * *

><p>Under normal circumstances, he knew he should have been able to ignore her. Strays stumbling through a skid row never caught Ragna's attention before; he had far more pressing concerns, such as cursing whoever decided to use the weather control Ars to dump a foot of rain on the city. Not getting killed would be pretty nice as well. He knew he should just pass by and pretend that he never saw her. But the red hair was familiar, she was injured if her limp was anything to go by, he could hear her sobs, and above all, not a single damn person in this crowded street seemed to care. In the least. He sighed, grumbling to himself. "Some days, humanity justifies my hatred for it..."<p>

Turning on a dime, he followed her into an alley, knowing full well that she would panic when she saw him. Sure enough, once she turned her tear-streaked face his way, she shrieked. "Y-you! Get away from me!"

"Oh hell, it's you." Now he recognized her beyond a doubt. Tsubaki Yayoi. He'd seen her once before; at the gate in Kagutsuchi, standing at the Imperator's side. _At my sister's side_. She'd looked different then; her eyes were now blue rather than crimson and she now wore a bloodstained Zero Squadron uniform instead of jet black robes. He wouldn't even know her name if not for Noel crying about her blind loyalty to the Library...her savage attempt on Noel's life. _God damn it..._ He had half a mind to turn around and walk off without another word, another half telling him to kill her right there—_doubt she can really fight back—_and still another reminding him that she needed to be treated. A carryover from his days of caring for Saya, no doubt. _And yes, I know that's too many halves. Oh well_. He ruled the first option out. "Can't help but notice you're in bad shape."

A moment later, her sword was pointed at him. Her terror made her tears come harder. "I m-mean it! Stay back!"

In defiance, he took a step forward, seeing how she would react. _Okay, so I'm a bastard_. Tsubaki stifled a scream and stumbled back. Lightning flashed, and he caught a clear view of a vicious cut running from her chest to her arm. Her fear softened his heart, and he held both hands up. "Okay, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm only making sure you're alright. Just point that thing somewhere else, kay?"

"You think you can trick me, you murderer? Come any closer, and I'll attack."

"Well, to be fair, I don't exactly go out of my way to kill random people." _Except that's just what I was thinking about doing. _Ragna silenced the inner voice and looked her over. "And there's no way you'd be able to fight me like that anyways, you idiot."

"Sh-shut up! I mean it!"

The girl looked to be beyond all reason, ready to die a pointless death. Ragna sighed. _She's like a cornered rat. Shit, how am I supposed to..._ He unsheathed his sword, noting Tsubaki's squeak at the movement, and tossed it to rest at her bloody feet. "There. I'm unarmed."

A damnable lie, but he was not about to tell her about the Azure Grimoire. _Though, to be fair, Terumi probably already has_. Tsubaki shivered, her sword still pointed at him, but the terrified edge in her eyes dulled. "What...what do you want?"

"Like I said, I'm just checking on you. Saw you stumbling into this alleyway and thought I'd make sure you're alright, since none of these other assholes seemed to care. Didn't realize who you were though, Yayoi."

A mistake. At the mention of her surname, Tsubaki's eyes blazed with animal terror and she charged at him. He considered grabbing her wrists and holding her in place; the slashes across her left leg would keep her from kicking too hard. _And a bigger man holding a terrified woman like that in an alley will look so fucking wonderful to the dozens of people passing by. Yeah, no, screw that_. He dodged to the side, pinning himself up against the wall. After her attack missed, Tsubaki turned and stabbed again; Ragna shifted his head to the side to avoid impalement. But it seemed that his position curbed her fear. She didn't continue her attack, content that she had him cornered. "How do you know who I am?"

"You're Noel's...'friend', right? Tsubaki, was it? Yeah, she told me a lot about you."

"Noel?" Tsubaki snorted. "She stole _everything _from me, and she has the gall to call me a friend? I hate her..."

Despite her harsh tone, Tsubaki's words carried no weight with them_. _"Huh. Despite the shit you've done to her, she doesn't hate you; hell, pretty sure she still thinks of you-"

"J-just shut up!" After pulling Izayoi out of the moist wood, she stabbed at Ragna's neck. His hand came across, swatting her fist and sending Izayoi bouncing down the alley. Tears flowed from blue eyes again. "Y-you..."

Tsubaki raced after her weapon. Her leg, however, didn't seem able to take it and she collapsed after a few steps, howling in pain. Crossing his arms, Ragna stepped over to her. "You know, running on such a damaged leg is pretty damn stup-"

He leaned too far in and paid the price; a punch straight to his jaw. In furious panic, Tsubaki rammed her good shoulder into his gut, slamming him against the wall. As he doubled over, she delivered another punch into his face; he figured that chances were he had just been given a black eye by a chick a whole head shorter than him. _Rachel ain't gonna let me live that down_. He caught her fist as she tried to pound his skull again. "Okay, enough. Geez, you're being a pain in the ass..."

"Let go of me!"

Tsubaki punctuated her command with a kick. Ragna winced; even with her bad leg, that still hurt like hell. After casting a worried glance at the main thoroughfare and seeing no one paying them undo attention, he let her fist go. He braced himself, but a blow never came. "Alright, if you're done attacking me...something I haven't done to you, by the way...can I ask how you got those wounds?"

"No."

But the razor edge of her word did not reflect the subtle change in her eyes. It was a look Ragna knew too well. Despair. He knew he shouldn't care so much about what happened to her, but he found himself examining the cut around her arm. Something caught his eye. Crystals traced her tattered robe along the slash. With zero regard for how she might react, Ragna reached out and snatched a crystal. As Tsubaki hissed and prepared to strike him again, he observed it. _Ice. This should have melted in this rain. Which means_... "You fought Jin, didn't you?"

He expected her to punch him again, or to maybe go for her sword. Instead, Tsubaki's face went pale and she dropped to her knees, crying with her head hung. Ragna stared down at her; that had been about the last thing he expected from her. And now he had no idea what the hell he was supposed to do. Talking to her was out the window now; he doubted he'd get through to her over her wails. But still, he had to do _something_. He didn't know why he felt like that, just that he did. _She's an enemy. I should just put her out of her misery._

_ And live life knowing that I'm an asshole? No way in hell am I doing that. _He knelt next to her, trying to work out what to do next. Gentle as he could, he reached out to touch her shoulder. Before it could reach, she glanced up and slapped it away. "D-don't touch me, you monster!"

Rubbing his hand, Ragna heaved a sigh. "Okay, look. I just came to see if you were alright, and you're obviously anything but. I'm trying to help you here-"

"Why would a bastard like you want to help me? Leave. Me. _Alone_!"

But in spite of her anger, she made no move to attack him. Ragna dared to inch closer to her. "I dunno. Listen, you need help-"

"Will you _leave me alone ALREADY?_" Tsubaki leaned forward to give him a teary glare. "You're just making everything worse! If you really want to help me, then just go the hell away!"

Ragna blinked, sighed and looked down. There was no helping it, it seemed. He stood up and went to grab Blood-Scythe. "Alright, fine. Just get those wounds looked at."

"Of course. Now please, just leave me be."

Turning his back on the crying girl felt like a bad omen, but Ragna shook his head and continued. _I ain't getting superstitious now, am I? Tch, it's all bullshit_. As he left the alley, he waited a bit for the people scurrying for shelter to clear away. Before he could continue on his way, a voice sounded behind him. "Um..."

He glanced back to see Tsubaki standing there, head hung and still in tears. The fear seemed to have dulled. "Thought you wanted me to leave you alone."

"You...said you wanted to help me? I've...thought of something, if you don't mind..."

She didn't look to have reclaimed her sword, so Ragna dared to step over to her. "Yeah?"

"Um...you wouldn't happen to know where a hospital is...would you?"

Ragna sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. No idea."

Tsubaki nodded, melancholy. "I see. I...suppose I better start looking, then..."

As she turned back into the alleyway to grab her weapon, Ragna nodded, turning away from her...realization struck him, and he walked back over to her. "Wait, you're actually gonna look around for a hospital in foreign territory? With those kinds of wounds? In _this_ weather?"

Tsubaki kneeled, careful not to put too much pressure on her leg, and picked up Izayoi. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Ragna stared at her. An idea formed in his mind; it was nonsensical, it was not something she would go for, it was downright dangerous, but he had nothing else to offer at this point. "Um...actually, if you want...I could patch you up. I mean, I know you hate me and all, but...still."

Once again, her reaction surprised him. Instead of heated anger overwhelming her melancholy like he expected, she stood in thought for over a minute. Then she said, "Do you have medical supplies on you?"

"On me? No. I do got some crap back at my place, though. Bandages and stuff like that."

"...Why would you stay in one place long enough to justify having even an apartment?"

"Hotel, actually. Just here for a few days, really. So, just wait here for a few minutes..."

"Um..." Tsubaki trembled as she tried to make up her mind. _I shouldn't do this. I can't do this. If Captain Hazama finds out, I'll be executed. But these wounds...I need to get help right now..._ "Is this hotel close?"

"Just around the corner." Ragna froze up for a moment. Why the hell was he offering to treat an enemy soldier's wounds? _Because no one else seems to give a shit about her, and I'm not heartless enough to let her bleed to death. Oh, and I wanna know what happened between her and Jin_. "So, anyways-"

"I'll come with you."

Tsubaki's declaration stunned him. _Well...it's probably safer for her..._ "...If you want. When the hell'd you become so trusting?"

"I don't trust you. Not in the least." As she caught up to him, her tears died for the time being. "I just figure following you's less of a risk than passing out due to blood loss in an alley. Or due to failing to find a hospital. I really don't have much of a choice here."

"Point taken. Come on." Ragna led the limping girl through the streets. He still wasn't a hundred percent sure why he was being so kind to her. It just felt like it was something he should do. "We'll be there in just a couple of minutes. You need to lean on me for support or anything, just let me know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This looks to be four parts. And, just as a warning, it probably won't end up romantic.  
><strong>


	4. Strays, part 2

"Well, here we are."

Ragna led Tsubaki into a half-barren room. Tsubaki eyed a small bag on the floor. Was everything Ragna owned contained in that tiny thing? _Why am I feeling pity for a murderer? _Lost in thought, she jumped when Ragna spoke. "You should probably clean up a bit."

"Huh?" She shook her thoughts away. "You mean, like, take a shower or something?"

"Or something. At least clean off the blood." After kneeling by the bag, he pulled out a spare hakama and a training shirt. He yanked one of the belts holding his jacket in place and tossed all three to her. "Here. Dry clothing. Probably way the hell too big, but I ain't got anything your size."

"...Thanks." She limped into the bathroom in the back and shut the door. With a sigh, Ragna shucked his drenched clothing. After throwing on dry clothes and hanging his jacket on a chair, he laid back on the bed. Why in the nine circles of Hell was he showing such mercy to Tsubaki? She wasn't just an enemy soldier, she held a personal vendetta against one of the few friends he had. He should have killed her when she couldn't fight back. Instead, he brought her to his hotel room to treat her wounds.

_ I'm not an asshole_. He didn't have to be to justify it. _No, I pretty much do_. She'd attacked him with intent to kill, as she'd done with Noel. _I snuck up on her in a goddamn alley. What was she gonna do, turn around and give me a hug? _She's an enemy; a damn strong one at that. _Who gives a damn? She's hurt, she's devastated and no one else was helping her. I ain't exactly the nicest guy, but I'm not about to let that kind of shit go. Besides, if I can get an ally inside the Library through this..._

The sound of the shower turning on ended his internal argument. Shaking his head, he rose and headed for the kitchen; dinner took priority over justifying helping her. Ragna opened a pair of cabinets and eyed what was left. Okay, stew it was. As he went through the motions of preparing it, he found himself screwing up more than normal because Tsubaki would not leave his damned mind. As he finished up and set the pot aside to cool, he heard the shower shut off. _Perfect timing_.

No sooner had he taken bandages and ointment from his bag then Tsubaki approached him. Red-faced and wearing nothing but ebony undergarments. Holding her good arm across her chest to hide the slice in her bra, she said, "Um...could you go ahead and treat me?"

"Y-yeah, sure." Ragna shook his head as he rose. _Don't stare, goddammit._ "Sorry, just kinda expected you to be wearing more."

His comment irked her, but she let it slide. He was trying to help; his lack of tact could be forgiven for now. "How else are you supposed to bandage my wounds?"

"Right, right..." After dipping his fingers into the ointment, he gripped her uninjured shoulder. "Kay, this should help your wounds a bit. Only thing is...well, I'd say it's gonna sting, but that would be a lie. It's gonna burn like hellfire."

Tsubaki nodded, bracing herself as his fingers approached the wound. At the ginger touch, she screamed, an agonized klaxon that threatened to shatter Ragna's eardrums. All concerns regarding modesty washed away by the deluge of pain, Tsubaki clutched his shoulder for support. He winced as her fingernails dug in, but at least the screaming stopped. He rubbed the medicine into the cracked scab coating the wound, gentle as he could. It didn't stop her from grinding her teeth and, acting against her will, pulling herself closer to him. At long last, he finished and she collapsed against him. Tearing up from the pain, she looked up at him. "What...what exactly is that?"

"Just some medicine a friend gave me. Helps heal, keeps it from getting infected or whatever, real nice stuff." _Chick. Leaning on me. The hell do I do? _His nervousness lessened as she pulled away from him, although his cheeks still burned. _If Rachel saw this, she'd give me absolute hell_. "Um...want me to put this shit on your other cut, or..."

She closed her eyes with an annoyed grimace. "I...don't think I could handle it at the moment. You said you have bandages, right?"

"Yeah. Want me to take care of that as well?"

"Considering that I couldn't do it on my own, please."

"Alright." He indicated the bed. "Here. Have a seat."

She nodded her thanks and obeyed, not wishing to speak another word unless necessary. As he knelt in front of her to begin wrapping her wound, she found it hard to direct a glare at him. Yes, he was the Grim Reaper. Yes, it was because of him that her life was falling apart around her. But how could she justify throwing the flames of hatred his way when he seemed to be doing what he could to help? She closed her eyes. At the moment, he was the closest thing she had to a friend, even if that were to change as soon as he finished. She hated Noel, Makoto had sided with her former friend, Jin was...

At the thought of Jin, tears welled up and she leaned forward. A moment later, she felt a hand pushing against her shoulder and she looked up into Ragna's annoyed scowl. "You mind not making this harder?"

"…Sorry."

After Tsubaki straightened herself once more, Ragna's irritation lessened. _Geez, what's with this chick? Looks like whatever's killing her in the inside's worse than these gashes. _A minute later, the bandage was in place around her shoulder and arm. As he stood up, he said, "Alright. How does it feel?"

"Fine." Tsubaki wiggled her arm. Certainly not the best job possible, but it would be serviceable. "Um…thanks."

"Don't thank me yet." Ragna indicated the cut along her leg. "Wanna take care of that one yourself?"

Tsubaki shuddered at the thought of bringing such agony upon herself with that horrendous medicine. "I…doubt I could go through with that. You should probably do it."

"Got it. Hold on a sec." He headed over to the nearby table and dragged a chair towards her. Before he even had it in place, Tsubaki knew what was doing. As soon as she could, she extended her leg to rest it on the chair. Ragna knelt down once more, ointment at hand. "Ready?"

"J-just get it over with." For the next minute, fire seared along her wound, but she managed to hold in any screams this time as she clutched his shoulder to brace herself. Once it was over, she reached down to grab the bandages and handed them to Ragna, eager to end her treatment. After a couple of minutes, the second slash was covered and she took to her feet with a slight quiver. As Ragna stood to put the supplies away, she said, "Um…thank you very much."

"It's nothing." _Dammit, I still haven't learned anything about what happened between her and Jin, and I figure she'll just cry her eyes out again if I ask. Gotta keep her here somehow_… he eyed the pot of stew, no doubt cold as the winter breeze by now. "Uh…you hungry?"

"Huh?" Her face reddened. Yes, she was quite hungry; she hadn't eaten all day. But to accept a meal from Ragna the Bloodedge… "I…I couldn't. Really, you don't have to…"

"Don't worry, it's fine. I made too much, anyways." _Bullshit right there. _He wandered over to his meal. "You want some, just let me know."

She eyed him for a moment as he filled a bowl with the dark broth. Then she sighed. "Very well, I suppose I'll have some. May I ask what you have to drink?"

"Water. Soda. That's it." He filled a second bowl and brought both over to the table. "What'll it be?"

"…Soda, I guess. Um, just a minute." She disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later, she reappeared clad in the clothes Ragna had loaned her, took a seat and stared down at her dinner and the can resting beside it. She took a hesitant slurp of the stew and looked up at him. "Um…it's very good."

Ragna nodded. "Good to hear. Thanks."

After taking a sip of her drink, she gave him a questioning glance. "You know, I'm kind of surprised that you don't have anything…well, alcoholic. I mean, I wouldn't want any or anything, but you just seem like…never mind. Sorry"

"It's fine." As soon as he said that, Tsubaki went dead silent again. As much as Ragna yearned to know what had happened between her and Jin, his mouth seemed stapled shut. _Simply asking her straight up what happened ain't gonna get me anywhere. Well, except more crying from her. Shit, what the hell do I do? She's almost done..._

Lightning flashed and raindrops pattered like bullets against the windows. As she wrapped up her dinner, Tsubaki glanced around. "Um...this may sound like a weird question, but...can I wait out the storm here?"

_Thank you, whoever decided to dump a foot of rain on this stupid city_. "If you want. Thought you couldn't stand me, though."

"You've been helping me out of, as far as I can tell, pure kindness. Even though we're enemies. I think I can trust you a bit longer."

"You do realize this rain probably ain't letting up 'til morning, though, right? You'd be staying the night here."

"Yes, I know. I...really have nowhere to go at the moment."

She looked to be on the verge of tears once more, and Ragna felt his heart wrench. The dull misery in her eyes was beyond mere despair. It was the look of one who had just lost everything; it was the first thing Rachel had seen in his own eyes after _that day_. As he stared into her eyes, he felt a sort of kinship with her. If he was interpreting the look correctly, they both had been rolled over by the wheel of fate, their former lives ripped apart to leave them strays.

Of course, that was assuming he was right about her. He had to admit that reading people wasn't his strong suit. "Alright, you can stay. Just...I gotta make sure you ain't gonna try to kill me in my sleep or anything. Where'd you put that sword of yours?"

"I, um, left it by the shower." After he left the table with a silent nod, she stared down. There was no helping it; no way a man like Ragna was going to be careless enough to leave her access to her weapon. Not that she had any intent to harm him. Not anymore. As he emerged, Izayoi in hand, she rose and stepped towards him. He quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Um...I just want to say..." Blushing, she bent forward in a respectful bow. "Thank you for everything you've done. I really appreciate your kindness, Ragna."

He blinked. And then, to her surprise, smiled. "It's nothing. Really."

He continued on to the kitchen, where he placed Izayoi in the cupboard and held up his right hand. Red seals blazed and he turned back to her. "Just a warning. Touch that door and you'll get zapped. Won't kill you are nothing, just gotta..."

"I understand." The weight of her sorrows bearing down on her, Tsubaki trudged over to sit on the edge of the bed. As soon as Ragna came close enough, she reached out and grabbed his wrist. He jumped and stared into sullen eyes as she gave a gentle tug. She took a deep breath as tears dribbled out. "I...I really need someone to talk to right now. A shoulder to cry on. And...well...you're the only person I have right now. I-if you don't mind..."

Ragna allowed her to pull him over to the bed and took a seat beside her. _Well, look at that. I decide to be nice to her, and it looks like she's gonna tell me what happened. Funny how that shit works out_. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't. Go ahead."

Tsubaki nodded, breaking into sobs. The memory burned at her heart like an acid; she wanted to just take her mind off it to ease the pain. But... _I need to get this off my chest now, or it will just get worse_. "I...I..."

She wiped her tears away and collected herself for a moment. "The man I loved just died at my hands."


	5. Strays, part 3

Tsubaki's words stunned Ragna; it took a moment for them to register. "You...you mean _Jin_? You...killed him?"

She did not move, did not speak, but the misery tattooed across her face answered him, stabbed at him like a dull knife. _Jin. Dead. Because of her. __**Kill her**__. _But no, he couldn't do that. Not until he heard her out at least. "Tell me what happened."

If the seething anger in his voice impacted Tsubaki in the least, she did not show it. Rivers ran down her cheeks as she leaned forward, staring at the white carpet. "I...well...w-we met and...and...I...he..."

Unable to spit out anything coherent, she broke down into shrieking wails and covered her face with her hands. The sight of such devastation washed Ragna's ire away in a whitewater torrent of pity and he wrapped an arm around her waist. To his utter shock, she pulled herself against him and buried her face against his side. For a moment, Ragna's breath was caught in his throat. _Okay. What the __**hell**__ do I do now? Just let her cry?_ Nothing else came to mind, so he allowed her to purge her soul of sorrow without interference. At long last, her caterwauling died down to mere sobs and Tsubaki looked up. "I'm...s-sorry. J-just give me a minute..."

"Sure. Whatever." He felt tears stinging his eyes, which came as a surprise to him. Sure, Jin had been something to hate for much of Ragna's life, but… _He was getting better, dammit. His madness was fading. He was…finally feeling like a brother again, not just some madman out for my blood. And now…_ "I think I can guess what happened. You fought him and lost control of yourself, killing him. Pretty damn obvious to me."

Tsubaki nodded. "I…he had me cornered and wounded; I was just trying to get away. I d-didn't mean to…I don't know what came over me."

"…You were just trying to survive. Can't fault you for that."

With a shake of her head, Tsubaki pressed her face on his shoulder. "No…it was more than that. I-I don't even remember much of what happened next; I just found myself s-standing over…"

Tears killed her words yet again, and Ragna felt his heart wrench and his stomach knot. _**Phantom**__. God dammit. _ "Still, if you thought he was going to kill you…"

"I-I don't think he would have, though." Winning her struggle for composure for the moment, Tsubaki rubbed her eyes. "I stayed by his side until the end, even though I knew I couldn't do anything for him. He talked to me, reminisced, forgave me, s-said he…"

A heavy sob cut her off; Ragna, the perpetual ice around his heart melted by her grief, tightened his grip and pulled her closer, trying to spur her into continuing. When she did, he could barely hear her over the rain battering against the windows. "He said he l-loved me and thanked me for freeing him…and then…he died, and I just ran away…I couldn't…"

She gasped as Ragna's hand wound its way up and down her back. A bit more intimate than she wanted, but it comforted her nonetheless. A few of his own tears leaking out, he said, "Sorry to hear it. Really."

After a few moments of tensing up, Tsubaki gave in and wrapped an arm around his waist. If his sympathy his sincere, she knew she would be a fool to deny the only source of comfort she had. "No, I should be the one apologizing to you. You and Jin…you were friends, right?"

"…He was my brother."

Tsubaki's eyes snapped open, wide and fearful. "Oh God…I'm so sorry…"

Ragna sighed, feeling her grip tighten in terror. _Don't wanna make her even more scared of me now_. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna try and get revenge on you or nothing. You're devastated enough without me doing anything."

Tsubaki nodded, although she remained in a terrified trance. _I shouldn't trust him. I can't trust him. He's the enemy, the reason all of this is happening to me. But…I don't have anyone else anymore. And besides… _Almost subconsciously, she found herself muttering, "What else do I have left to lose?"

"Huh?"

Tsubaki shook her head, preparing to tell him that was nothing… _no, this is hardly all that's_

_poisoning my soul. I need to… _"I'm…I'm just so lost right now. The Librarium is supposed to fight to preserve peace…but what they've done lately seems to have no point other than killing. And…and my allegiance to it has now cost me my three closest friends. Noel has to be terrified of me because of what I did to her, Makoto thinks I'm becoming a monster, and J-jin…Jin's dead…"

Misery's grip on Tsubaki broke her down and left her muted by tears again. For his part, Ragna had no idea how to act or what to say. He remained silent, trying to ease her worries by rubbing her back. _Gah, this is starting to get out of my league. I ain't good at talking to people, how the hell am I supposed to do a damn thing for her? Oh well, at least I can't say this is unpleasant_. "You know, Noel still thinks of you as a friend. If you could talk to her…"

"How can she, after what I did? She surrendered because she didn't want to fight anymore, and I still slammed her against a wall and tried to rip her apart. I couldn't bear to look her in the eyes anymore…" She paused a moment, wondering if she should admit such things to the Grim Reaper. _Why not? I have nothing to lose. _"The way she looked at me…the sheer terror in her eyes…I can't stand to think about it, yet that look haunts my dreams. And…and…"

The torrential weeping threatened to silence her again, but she forced herself to go on between sobs. She couldn't keep allowing grief to serve as a quietus for her words. "I d-did it out of pure j-jealousy. I was convinced that she s-stole my place at Jin's side. I-I took the best friend I've ever had, turned her into a scapegoat and tried to make myself hate her."

"You don't actually hate her, then?"

"Noel's done nothing to wrong me. I can't justify it."

"So why not talk to her? I could probably-"

"Because I don't deserve to be forgiven for such a monstrous act, and I know Noel would try to do so."

"Bullshit. You realize you've screwed up; that tells me it's not too late for you yet. I'm just gonna throw this out there; leave the Library, and I can take you to some people who can help you."

"I…I can't leave the Librarium."

Ragna rolled his eyes. "And why the hell not? Your loyalty to them has torn your life apart. You're no more than a damn pawn to Terumi and the Imperator."

"I just can't. I know I've strayed from any sort of righteous path, but I don't want to disgrace my family, and Captain Hazama…I mean, Terumi…"

"We could protect you from him. In fact, he's the reason you should leave; bastard's just gonna use you for a bit and then throw you away once you've served his purposes."

Tsubaki nodded. "I…I don't know what to do anymore. I want Jin back. I want Noel and Makoto as friends again. But…I've ruined everything now…I…"

"Stop thinking like that; it won't end well for you." The edge of Ragna's command killed her tears for the moment. "You wanna do something to make up for your mistakes?"

"As much as I can, yes."

"All right, then. Take down the bastards that put you through this. Terumi. The Imperator. That jackass with the mask. If you stay with that kinda self-destructive thinking, you're just gonna stay trapped in misery."

"I…" Tsubaki pulled away from him to look into his eyes. She focused on his left eye; _it looks like Jin's_. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

"Because…" He bowed his head, the memory driving into his heart like a stake. "I've been where you are. I know what it's like to have everything ripped away from you, to lose everyone you loved."

"Mm…may I ask what happened to you?"

"_Terumi_ happened. He turned Jin and my sister into enemies, killed our guardian, burned down the place we lived, and made Jin cut off my arm and leave me to bleed to death."

He gripped her shoulder. "I can tell you're about to just give up. You _can't_. Not while you still got a chance at redemption. It ain't gonna be easy, but…"

Tears flowing, she leaned forward, her forehead resting against his chest. "That's different. You had your life wrecked by Terumi. I did it to myself. Everything that's gone wrong for me is on my own hands."

_I need to break her out of this depression; she's at the brink of total despair_. "Still. You obviously wanna help. Jin forgave you, right? Why not honor him by taking up his fight, then? And before you try to make him out to be some kinda righteous hero, let me tell you-"

"Honestly, I don't want to hear it. I get what you're saying, though."

"Good." He reached down and prodded her chin, allowing him to look straight into her eyes. "Look, I can tell you aren't a bad person in the least, no matter what mistakes you've made. You want my help, you got it. Okay?"

For several long moments, she just stared up at him. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You're right. Sorry, it's just that...well, everything seems to be coming down around me at once. It really isn't like me to be so...I don't know, _weak_ like this. I'll be fine...thank you."

"Glad to hear it." A soft blush crested Ragna's face. "So, um, anything else you need to get off your chest?"

"Not..." Tsubaki paused for a brief yawn, listening to confirm that the storm outside still raged. She released her grip around Ragna. "Not really. I'm getting tired, actually. Um...since the storm isn't letting up, would it be okay if I stayed here for the night?"

Ragna chuckled. "Already said you could, didn't I? You can have the bed if you want."

"...Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to-"

"It's fine, you're pretty much my guest. Besides, I'm kinda used to sleeping on the ground."

Tsubaki stared at him for a moment. "You know, you're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be."

"I guess I have my moments."

"If tonight is any indication, trust me, you do." After dragging herself over to lay down, she glanced over at Ragna as he shut off the lights. "Um...do you think you could come over here for a moment, please?"

"Huh? Sure." Ragna did as she asked, just able to make out her form in the darkness. "What's up?"

"I...um..." Gentle, so as not to startle him, Tsubaki grabbed his wrist and pulled him next to her. "I...um...I really need someone right now for comfort, because I know I won't be able to stop thinking about Jin. Do you think you could stay here with me for a few minutes? Please?"

_The hell am I supposed to be, your teddy bear? That's a lot more than I bargained for. Ah well, it's not like that would be unpleasant or anything. _He lay next to her, allowing her to cling to him once more. "Sure. You need anything, just say so."

"Once again, thank you." As she snuggled up to his chest her thoughts did indeed return to Jin. Silent, she wept, replaying hundreds of memories of him as she drifted away. _I'm so sorry, Jin. I'll find a way to honor your memory, I swear it. Even if it means..._

After some time, her sobs became the deep breaths of sleep. Although hardly awake himself, Ragna smiled. _And she just falls asleep holding me. Gotta say...this is pretty damn nice, though. At least she can't go anywhere but up from here._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just one more chapter left, and it should be up in a few days.**


	6. Strays, part 4

Tsubaki moaned as her burning eyes fluttered open. It felt like she floated in a soothing sea; something held her, comforted her. It took a moment for her to realize who had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. _I just spent the night with Ragna the Bloodedge. I can't…I…I'm just fine with it_. Of course she was; she had insisted on it, after all. A font of warmth blossomed in her heart; violent and profane though Ragna was, there was no one she trusted more at the moment.

The wound in her leg seared up in pain as she shifted. _Right. I still need to get to a hospital. I should just…_ There was no way she was just leaving without giving Ragna a proper farewell. She closed her eyes, sinking against him as she thought. After a few minutes of weighing her options, she whispered, "Ragna."

The only response she received was a snore, so she pawed at his shoulder and increased her volume. "Ragna."

"Huh…?" With a yawn, he opened his eyes. Drowsiness etched into his face, he blinked at Tsubaki. "Something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just that I really should get to a hospital."

"Oh, right." Groaning, Ragna sat up, Tsubaki still clinging to him. He shook his head to clear it of fatigue. "I'll go with you. Want something to eat first?"

"No, thank you." At long last relinquishing her grip on him, Tsubaki rose and limped into the bathroom. "I'll be right back. Just going to change."

"Alright." She disappeared and he headed over to grab a drink. Sitting at the table, he allowed his mind to wander. _The poor girl…glad I could help her, though. Hope she decides to leave the Library; seems like she'd be a good friend…where the hell'd that come from? Gah, when'd I get so damn soft? …Well, I did pretty much care for her last night. Wouldn't Rachel be proud of my maturity? No, of course not, it would be "soft-heartedness" or something else that she'd just mock. Bitch._ The door opened and Tsubaki emerged clad in her Zero Squadron uniform. Yawning, he stretched and rose. "So. Ready?"

She shook her head, looking over at the doors behind which her weapon was sealed. "I, um, would like to get my weapon, if possible."

"Oh, yeah." After Ragna held up his right fist in the direction of the cupboard, a seal flashed. He went over and retrieved the weapon. "Here you go."

She took it without a word, staring at the ground as her cheeks burned. Ragna quirked an eyebrow at her. "You doing okay? I mean, after last night?"

"Yes. I am now." Tsubaki leaned closer to him, the first smile in days coming to her lips. "Th-thank you so much, Ragna. For everything. If there's anything I can do repay you—anything at all—just let me know."

"It's fine. Really." He felt waves of nervousness pour over him as she drifted nearer still. "Just…reconsider your loyalty to the Library, okay? You said you've lost faith in them; if that's true, I don't see any reason for you to stick with 'em."

"…I will. You're right." And with that, she lunged forward to hug him. He stiffened for a moment before returning it. "And besides, I've already lost three friends because of my allegiance. I'd hate to fight another."

Ragna blinked. "…You mean me?"

"Of course I do. After last night, I can't not call you a friend." Tears threatening to leak out again, she buried her face on his chest. "The only one I really have left…I couldn't bear to have to fight you as well."

"…Same." After a while, he pulled back. "We should probably get going. The sooner you get those stitched up or whatever, the better."

She nodded and followed in silence as he led her back into the still-wet streets. People stared at them, no doubt wondering why an NOL agent was traveling with the Grim Reaper. Ragna paid them no mind as he strode past, his mere presence enough to clear a path for him and Tsubaki. After nearly ten minutes, they spotted a hospital and headed towards it, stopping just outside of its doors. With a broad smile, Tsubaki turned to give him another embrace. "I know I've said this a lot already, but…thank you so much. I don't know where I'd be without you, Ragna."

"Glad I could help."

"Um…" Tsubaki blushed. "May I ask what your plans are from here?"

"Gonna meet someone in a couple of hours. That blond chick you've probably seen before, Rachel. Why?"

"Oh, it's…nothing. Can I assume you'd be at the hotel until then?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Why? You wanna hang out with me or something when you're done here?"

"If I do decide to go against the Librarium, I doubt I could fight it alone. I'd want to at least have someone at my side. And…well…"

"You'd wanna travel with me." Ragna realized her cheek was brushing against his. _This chick is getting a bit too close for my comfort…you know, I think that's enough of me thinking of Tsubaki as 'this chick'. _"Tell you what. I'll stay at the hotel for two hours here. After that, I'm gone. Can't keep Rachel waiting; trust me, she's not a fun person to piss off. You wanna stay with me, you'd better come right down there. If not…well, I guess that would make this goodbye."

"…Yes. It would." Tsubaki pulled away and stepped towards the hospital doors. Although her smile remained, tears glistened in her eyes at the thought. "Farewell, Ragna."

"Yeah…you, too." He watched her disappear behind thick doors. _God, I hope she makes the right choice here. Of course she will; she knows the Library's just gonna screw her over. She'll definitely join me._

Without a word, he spun on his heel and strode back the way he came. _Don't stay with them, Tsubaki__._

* * *

><p>Ragna stared up at the ceiling. Two hours had passed already, and... <em>She…she didn't come. Did something happen to her? Well, no helping it. Just gotta hope she isn't staying with the damned Library. Rachel's waiting, and she'll be pissed if I'm too late.<em>

With a groan, he rose and collected Blood-Scythe and his jacket. He glanced around; the idiots who worked here could deal with the still-messy kitchen. As he made his way to the door for the last time, a light knock sounded. He found himself borderline racing to open it. He threw it open and grinned down at Tsubaki. _It's like Rachel said once; care for a stray and it will follow you for all eternity. Of course, she was using that as an insult towards me, but… _"You came."

"Of course I did." She stepped forward and clasped his hand. "Sorry I took so long. I…suppose you were just about to leave?"  
>"Yeah. Gotta go meet Rachel. Sorry I couldn't wait longer."<p>

"It's fine, I understand." Her smile faded. "Um…do you think this Rachel would be okay with me being there? I mean, I imagine I'm still an enemy in her mind…"

"I might have to explain what happened, but she ain't gonna deny you. Really, I'd say the only allies of mine you might wanna watch out for are Hakumen and, sorry to say it, Makoto. She seems kinda pissed about you, but I can't really read her."

"…I'm actually pretty sure Hakumen will accept me. I've met him before. As for Makoto… I imagine we'll be able to work things out."

"Hope so. I'll take it you have no problems with Noel."

"I plan on talking to her as soon as I can to clear the air between us." With a tug on his wrist, she started back into the streets. "Well, let's not keep Rachel waiting."

"Yeah. Like I said, not fun."

After a few minutes of walking, Tsubaki stopped him. "Um, Ragna? Would it be okay if we took a small detour?"

"Huh? Why?"

"…The alley where Jin died is just around the corner. I want to do something for him. It…might take a while, but…"

Ragna nodded. "Rachel can wait. She won't be happy, but…oh well."

Without a word, she led him into an empty alley. Whatever fight had occurred there, all traces of it had been erased. Leaning down on the cobblestone street, Tsubaki crawled over to the alley's end wall and drew Izayoi, shaping it into a thick spike. For almost half an hour, she carved into the wall, writing something he couldn't see as she wept. Finally, she stood up, returning her weapon into its natural form. "Okay. I'm done."

Ragna stepped towards, reading her words. "'And if my promise ever does go, I give to you...my eternal soul'? The hell is…"

"It's…a promise me and Jin made to each other years ago. I know it's silly for me to have held on to those words, but…I couldn't think of anything else to memorialize him with." With a sob, she leaned on Ragna; his arm wrapped around her shoulders an instant later. "I miss him so much already, but…I have to move on. I'll continue his fight and bring those corrupting the Librarium to justice. We…really should get going, shouldn't we?"

"Probably. Your call, though."

Tsubaki nodded, rereading her words. _Jin…I'm so sorry you had to die before I could break away from the Librarium. You will always be a brother to me. More than a brother, in fact. Here is my new oath to you; I will fight the Librarium so you may rest in peace. These words in the wall seal that promise. Ragna and I…we will…_ "Let's go, Ragna. We can't keep Rachel waiting."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, that's done. Back to fluffiness or something.**


	7. The Triumph Of Persephone

Face down in the dirt with a boot pushing on the back of his head. What a way for his life to end. If he wasn't in such agony, he would chuckle. He'd underestimated this girl, and now he paid the price. His left arm was shattered by a kick. His stomach bled into the soil. Ragna the Bloodedge was at long last defeated. "Well? You gonna finish me?"

No pity shown in Tsubaki's eyes as she glared down at the broken man, clutching her dislocated left shoulder. Even though Ragna had not once used his fabled grimoire—something she could not understand—she had only just won, and at great cost. Her wounds threatened to drop her to her knees. But no, she could not afford to show such weakness before this violent man. If she lowered her guard for an instant, it could be the end of her. Clutching the trench carved into her side she leaned over a bit, pressing harder on his head. "Ragna the Bloodedge. You are hereby under arrest. I will take you to your trial and execution."

The boot lifted for a moment and came down, steel-tip first. Ragna felt a short rap of pain, and then saw no more.

After a minute of staring at the unconscious rebel at her feet, Tsubaki drew a radio and dialed in a number. "This is First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi. I have captured Ragna the Bloodedge. Requesting aid in transporting him to Ookoto."

* * *

><p>With a pained groan, Ragna snapped his eyes open. And almost wish he hadn't when pain shot through his entire being. He chanced a look at his left arm, bent back from Tsubaki's kick. Nauseous, he tried to grab his wounded stomach with his right hand. Except, he realized, he didn't <em>have<em> a right arm anymore. _My grimoire. Gone. They ain't taking no chances. _There would be no comforting his injuries, so he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again. He knew his time was about to come; the less time he spent enduring this agony, the better. He thought back to Noel, to Nu, even to Jin and Rachel. _Sorry, guys. Guess I ain't gonna make it through this._

The door before him slid open and, against his will, he opened his eyes. The last person he wanted to see. He snarled at the red-haired girl as she passed by him, refusing to so much as glance at him. "Here to rub it in?"

"Don't talk to me." Tsubaki headed to the back of the chamber—Ragna realized right then he had no idea where he was—and grabbed a stack of papers. "We're in transit to Ookoto. You will be executed shortly after landing."

"Nice to know." _Well, at least they're not extending my agony. Knowing Terumi, though… _"You couldn't have just killed me when you were done kicking my head?"

"I was under the impression they wanted to at least hold a trial for you." Leaning against the door, she looked at him for the first time, a glare of pure hatred. "And I just said not to talk to me."

"Whatever."

"Hmph." She turned around and slid a card under some form of lock next to the door. It didn't open, so she tried again. After more than ten attempts, she pulled out a radio. "Excuse me, this is First Lieu-"

Static squawked at her. Clutching her head, she shut the device off and pounded on the door. "Hey! Can anyone hear me?"

"It's soundproofed, dumbass. Even I know that." Ragna smirked when she wheeled around. "What? Just saying."

"Shut up."

Ragna's smirk widened, twisting into something vicious. "Tch. Someone's bitchy today. Then again, seeing as you wanna kill your best friend...shit, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Give me a reason, Ragna the Bloodedge..." In a sudden movement, Tsubaki thrust herself over to him and placed her sword at his throat. "And I swear I will take your life myself."

As though for added effect, she gripped his hair and yanked back on it, exposing more of his neck. Wincing, he still managed to give her a mocking smirk. "Good. Better than waiting for Terumi to torture me to death. Might just take you up on your offer."

After a few moments of glaring at him, Tsubaki relented her grip on his hair a bit. "You mean you seriously wish for me to kill you."

"Yeah, pretty much." His smile softened and his eyes turned downcast. "Consider this my last request or whatever; kill me now and don't let Hazama or Terumi or whatever name that shithead goes by have the satisfaction of torturing to death. _Please_."

Tsubaki stared at him another moment before letting go. "...I can't do that. My orders were to deliver you to your trial and execution. I cannot-"

"Well, piss on your orders!" The glared that Ragna assumed contained more than just anger. It pleaded with her, an order from a dead man walking to grant him this one request. "Do you have any idea what the hell Terumi will do if I'm delivered to him?"

"...You chose this path, Ragna." Tsubaki sat down on a chair, pulling the blade from his neck. "You have no one to blame but yourself for your fate."

With a snort of annoyance, Ragna looked away. "Yeah. 'Cause I totally had a goddamn choice, didn't I?"

Tsubaki blinked at him. "Are you saying that you were forced into your actions?"

"Not really 'forced', but..." Ragna sighed and looked down. "A certain green-haired asshole kinda sorta kidnapped my sister to make her the damn Imperator. I...this was...goddammit, how do I explain this..."

"I understand what you're saying." The razor edge of her voice lost, Tsubaki nodded. "If that's the case..."

She trailed off as Ragna brought his knees up and leaned his head against them. A fact weighed down on him. "...I failed her, goddammit..."

With an uncomfortable shift, Tsubaki looked away. She had no idea how she was supposed to deal with this. Instead, she decided to try and leave him to his despair. After rising, she tried the door again. The keycard still refused to read. And her radio was still jammed. Sighing, she moved over to sit beside Ragna and look down. "…You have my condolences. If you truly were seeking to save your sister, then you have my respect in that regard. However, your actions…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He turned to her. "I ain't gonna beg for you to spare me or nothing. It's just…god, I don't know…"

"No, I understand." Tsubaki's eyes softened further as she stared at his piteous form. Here was a man on death's door, having accomplished nothing of what he had set out to do…and had accepted his own end. Were it not the Grim Reaper, she would have considered the entire scenario tragic. And due to certain technical malfunctions… Tsubaki sighed. "Well, I suppose I can keep you company for the time being. Not like I have much of a choice."

Ragna shook his head. "Nah, you don't gotta put up with my bullshit. Or, actually…I just wanna know something. Why the hell do you stick with the Library? I mean, shit, your goddamn boyfriend is fighting against it. So are Noel and Makoto. Why are you more loyal to the Library than your friends?"

"…I'd rather not discuss this…" Tsubaki looked away, scowling. He was right, of course. Even she had difficulty rationalizing her decision to stay with the NOL. "Tell me something."

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you use your grimoire when we fought?" Tsubaki shivered and looked at her arm, the one that had ended the fight dislocated. "You would have killed me easily if you had; I was barely able to defeat you as it is. So why?"

With a sigh, Ragna looked away. "Do you have any idea what the hell it is?"

"Not really. All I know is that it's a weapon..."

Ragna snorted. "Weapon? No, it's worse than that. Let's just say if used it, there's a damn good chance I'd...well, I'll be blunt. I used it way the hell too much before. Piece of shit might'a turned me into another Black Beast. And I actually kinda like the world being not destroyed."

"...You..." Every bit of color had raced out of Tsubaki's face. She slid away from him before her mind caught up. He had been disarmed—quite literally—and thus there was no threat of him erupting into the Black Beast before her. Instead, the last bit of what he said swept over her. "You...chose...not to use it because..."

"Yeah. Ain't gonna be no destroyer of the world or whatever. I owe everyone that much..."

"...And now you're..." Tsubaki shook her head. With those words, Ragna had shattered her entire perception of him. Someone who was willing to sacrifice his life as such had always been worthy of her full respect. But even still, he was the Grim Reaper. She had no idea what to think. "Ragna...if that's truly the kind of person you are...I'm sorry that it has to end like this."

There was her answer. No matter what Ragna's intentions were, the fact remained that he was the single greatest enemy of the Librarium. It was her duty to deliver him to justice, no matter what her personal feelings towards him were. As she struggled through her tangle of thoughts, Ragna laid back down. "Alright, I told you what the hell's up with my arm. Your turn. Why do you stick with the Library? I mean, shit, they mind controlled you, didn't they? That damn Phantom..."

"I..." After sighing, she turned to look him dead in the eye. "...I just...can't leave it. No matter how corrupt its leaders are, the purpose it serves—regulating Ars Magus—is too important. As long as it serves that function, I will serve it, regardless of my own happiness..."

Ragna stared at her, a scowl tugging at his lips. "If you actually believe that shit, you're just an idiot. Saya...I mean, the Imperator and Terumi don't give a rat's ass about regulating Armagus or whatever. They're just trying to screw the world over at this point; all you're doing is helping them do that."

She looked away with her own grimace. "You're not going to recruit me to your side, Ragna. My loyalty is to the Librarium and it is not my place to judge its actions."

Growling, Ragna rolled his eyes. So much for getting through to her. "Well, whatever. Look, if you don't wanna deal with me, I won't bother you."

Tsubaki looked down and sighed. "...No. You're actually not bothering me anymore."

"Huh. Thought you hated me."

"...I hate what you've done. I sympathize with your reasons for doing so. I...respect you for choosing to sacrifice yourself rather than risk becoming the Black Beast." She stopped for a moment, his words about the Librarium swimming in her head. "And...I am grateful that you seem to care enough to pry me away from a group you believe evil."

Ragna nodded, wondering how she had interpreted his actions as caring about her. He'd straight up called her an idiot, hadn't he? Ah well, if that's she wanted to believe... "Well, anyways, if you ain't bothered by me...what about Noel and Makoto? I mean, shit, Jin, even. I mean, I know you don't wanna talk about them, but..."

With a sigh, Tsubaki nodded. "...I'm beyond confused on what I should do, Ragna. Noel and Makoto are my best friends, and Jin...well, I love him. But...that's...why I don't want to talk about it..."

As she broke into tears, Ragna felt his gut wrench. That had _not_ been his aim. Sighing, he looked away. "Shit, sorry. Didn't mean to make you cry. I'll just shut up."

"No, it's..." Tsubaki wiped her eyes and turned to him. "...I can't avoid this forever, hiding behind this mask of justice. I...wish I could be there for them, especially Jin. I wish I could help them. But...to do so would be to cast away everything that I am. To throw away everything that I've ever known. I...how am I supposed to make such a decision?"

"Hey. Remind me. The hell am I doing right now?" There it was. A chance to win her from the Library's clutches. I'm heading off to my goddamn execution here. You ain't gotta give up as much as I am right now. Ya wanna do what's right or what the hell ever? Give the Library the finger and go to Jin."

"Ragna..." Tsubaki stared at him, eyes wide. She hadn't even considered that. "But...if I leave..."

"You wanna do what's right, right? Just the vibe I get from you."

"Yes, I do. All I want is to help better the world..."

"Yeah, not happening if you stay with the Library. I know you've thought up a buncha bullshit that says otherwise, but...some part of you's gotta know that serving Terumi ain't gonna help nothing. Hell, all you're doing right now is the opposite of what you want."

"...Still. The Librarium's purpose..."

"Was good. And then Terumi pretty much took over. Now it's as rotten as Noel's cooking." He leaned closer to her, eyes glinting as he spoke. "And why does what the Library want beat out what _you_ want? Why serve them if that's the case?"

"...I gave up my rights to happiness the moment I joined..." Tsubaki shook her head. That wasn't right. Just another justification thought up to keep her loyalty steady...to keep her entire life steady. "...I can't leave. I'd have nowhere to go. My family would disown me...I'd be a wanted criminal like you..."

"What, you think we'd just leave you out to dry? We got places. We could protect you." He gave her a smile. Genuine and warm, compared to the daring smirks he'd thrown her way before. "I'd love to say trust me, but...well, I'm the Grim Reaper. So trust your friends. I've talked with Noel and Makoto, and they...well, shit. They're devastated that you're fighting against them...Tsubaki. So...yeah."

For several long moments, Tsubaki sat stock still, thoroughly numb. With all the willpower she possessed, she nodded and looked him dead in the eye. "...You're right. You're absolutely right, Ragna. I've...been a fool, blind to the truth. ...We're taking over this ship."

"Huh? The hell are you..." Ragna trailed off as Tsubaki grabbed his broken arm and shut her eyes. Her mouth muttered the same incantation over and over, the seithr in the air warping around his limb and healing the bones within. After a full minute, she pulled back and he flexed it. Dull pain came with the motion, but it was nothing he could not deal with. "...Thanks."

"No problem." Tsubaki glanced at the door. She did not have the means to tear it down herself. However... "Ragna. Do you think you can do something about the door?"

"Tch. Yeah right. Kinda don't got a weapon..." Again, he was forced to trail off. Tsubaki pressed the hilt of her sword against his hand, molding it into a massive crimson blade the same shape as Blood-Scythe. Taking it, he grinned at her. "Actually, yeah. I think I can do something about the door."

Tsubaki chuckled. "Alright, then. Your sword is in the hold, along with your...well, your arm. I don't think you want that back, however. We'll head there first and then commandeer the ship."

As he braced himself for a massive blow, Ragna glanced back at her. "You know how to fly one of these?"

"Well enough, yes."

"...Alright, then. " With a roar, he hefted the sword and slammed it against the metal door, denting it. Another shattered it into pieces. As soon as it was down, two blue-clad guards rushed into the room. A third hack took them out. Ragna started to look back at Tsubaki only for her to push by him and grab his wrist. "Hey, what the-"

"We need to hurry. The storeroom is in the back. There will probably be a couple of..." Tsubaki shrieked and jumped out to the side as they rounded a corner, only to have a pair of soldiers slash their swords and summon slicing waves of invisible energy. Ragna dashed ahead of her and cut the soldiers down in two quick blows. And with that, nothing but a single door barred them from retrieving Ragna's weapon.

Five minutes later, the ship was theirs.

* * *

><p>Outside of a small village in the shadow of Kagutsuchi, the transport landed. After the ramp opened, two figures stepped out. Ragna led Tsubaki down onto the grassy hillside. Once they were a good distance away, he muttered an incantation. A fireball consumed the ship, the explosion no doubt too far from the Hierarchical City to be noticed. He turned to smirk at her. "Well, here's one of our standard rendezvous points. Bunnicula's got, like, some kinda portal summoner thingy around and I'm pretty sure Noel and Makoto are already at her mansion. So...ready?"<p> 


	8. Smolder

**A/N: Just a little something I did for a class.**

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><p>Searing pain awoke Tsubaki; a line of fire snaked up her thigh and dragged a gasp out of her choked throat. The crackle of flames and the fiery scent that lingered in the air gave her ample warning of what would greet her. Blue eyes cracked open onto devastation, an entire village lit by holocaust, dwarfed by the mountain of smoke that rose over it.<p>

Tsubaki scanned the burning husks for any signs of life. She spotted no bodies, living or dead. Despite the fire that cut along her leg, she rose to her feet. She had to help with whatever calamity had befallen this peaceful town; so her duty as an officer of the Novus Orbis Librarium dictated—no, her own sense of justice, the pull to help those in need regardless of circumstances, demanded it. According to the latest reports, Ragna the Bloodedge was in this area, perhaps in this very place. And for a man who routinely slaughtered entire NOL military branches, what was a small village such as this other than hunting grounds for his murderous deeds? She could not leave this place to such a monster.

A few minutes of pained steps brought her to the center of the village. Not a single living soul greeted her. As she dropped to her knees from the burning agony, she swore under her breath. This devastation, this absolute lack of life...it had to be the work of Ragna. No other explanation came to her, although she could not recall much of what had occurred. She remembered a whine, a sound like thunder, pain searing her leg, an impact to the skull, darkness. Obviously, there had been an explosion, powerful enough to decimate the village. And according to all reports, Ragna was more than capable of creating such a blast through the wonders of Ars Magus.

The thought that such a man lurked nearby sent a shock of adrenaline through Tsubaki. She reached into the ivory robes of her uniform, blackened by soot, and produced a blade. Izayoi's foot-long blade glimmered. She forced herself onto her feet, even as her blistered and cut skin screamed agony, and eyed the village again, determined to find something, _anything_. A figure in an already burnt out hut caught her eye.

At ten feet away, Tsubaki recognized it as a corpse, unmarred by flames. She knelt beside the deceased man and flipped him over to inspect him. A narrow wound in his chest pierced straight through to his back, the work of a sword or spear. Tsubaki chewed her bottom lip as she thought—did Ragna carry a weapon? Sure, he had magic powerful enough to render most weaponry unnecessary, but...no. He must have a sword or something. Else, how would this man have died?

Another minute of looking around told Tsubaki that either he had been unarmed at death, or his killer had taken his weapon. Probably the former, all things considered. Fury welled up inside her, an inferno that would have dwarfed the blaze that surrounded her had she a way to unleash it. So Ragna had not been content to simply raze the village. No, he saw fit to slaughter the helpless inhabitants who survived the flames. Of all the-

"Hey. The hell do you think you're doing?" Tsubaki gasped at the voice and whipped around. A survivor..._no_. She blanched as a tall man approached her. Spiky white hair, mismatched green and red eyes, and a blood-red jacket over a black shirt left no doubt as to who it was. However, the wanted posters had given no indication that he carried a foot-wide great-sword on his back. Tsubaki had to wonder how it was even possible to wield such a weapon. She braced herself as he reached into a black bag slung over his shoulder. He produced a small charred box and tossed it to her. Its contents rattled as it bounced to a rest at her knees. "Here. Eat."

Instead, Tsubaki ignored the box of candy lying in the blackened grass and brandished her weapon. Its blade lengthened by almost double, a threat to halt the man. "Ragna the Bloodedge!"

"Yeah? Sup?"

"You're under arrest!"

"And who the hell's gonna do that? You're injured, dumbass." With no fear of Izayoi, Ragna crouched beside Tsubaki and studied her cut. "...Not too badly, though. I mean, you can still walk and shit. And point that thing somewhere else, goddammit!"

He swatted her hand and the sword clattered away. Tsubaki hissed and clasped her hand, but said nothing. With a roll of his eyes, Ragna moved past her and examined the corpse. "Shit. Was hoping for another survivor."

"Huh? Why would you..." Tsubaki's eyes flashed. "So, you're not satisfied with your bloodbath yet?"

"The hell are you talking about?" Ragna quirked an eyebrow her way. "You think _I_ did this shit?"

"It's the only rational explanation."

"Huh. Funny. Look at this guy, will ya?" After spreading open the cut in the man's shirt, Ragna traced a finger along the fatal wound. "Now look at my sword. Blood-Scythe doesn't make neat little cuts, it tears people in half."

Mind racing, Tsubaki stared down at the corpse, unable to find rationale for her belief that Ragna had killed this man but unwilling to let go of the idea. "Very well then. Do you have an alternate explanation?"

"Library soldier. Took out a bunch of 'em earlier."

With a growl, Tsubaki slid away from him. "Why should I believe that? The Librarium is peace, security. You...are an unrepentant murderer who seems to desire nothing more than to create as much chaos as you can."

"And you..." Ragna turned a glare her way. "...Shit, I dunno the first thing about you, other than that you're giving me a damn headache right now. What's your name?"

As her hand trailed through short grass toward her sword, Tsubaki snarled and met his glare in defiance. Yet, she found herself answering all the same. "I'm Tsubaki, of the Yayoi family."

"Yayoi? Dammit..." Any hope of getting through to her vanished at the name. With a sigh, Ragna rose to his feet. A noble. He was stuck with some chick who not only came off as a zealot for the Library, but was a noblewoman. Damn it all. "Anyways, what the hell were you doing? Most people run away from the burning village, not into it."

"I was trying to find survivors and render aid."

"Tch. While wounded? Well, whatever." He bent down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's-"

"Don't touch me!" Panic and rage overcame Tsubaki and she writhed out of his grip. The flames burning around them held not the fury that flickered in her eyes. If he took hold of her, she would be carried off, never to be seen again...she was sure of it. On the verge of hyperventilation from that simple touch, she turned and scurried on hands and knees to collect her sword. A flare of pain in her thigh killed the attempt and she halted with an anguished grunt. A moment later, a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to face Ragna. "What...what do you want?"

Ragna's fingers twitched, but he forced himself to show no signs of his building ire beyond that. This girl was scared enough as it was; no sense making it worse. "For one, to get you outta this place. And then fix you up the best I can, although I ain't an expert on healing Ars. Oh, and I got a bunch of survivors on the outskirts who are kinda waiting for food here."

He grabbed the box he had tossed her way earlier and handed it to her. "And I ain't gonna let you walk on that leg, either. Dunno exactly how bad it is, so...yeah."

Tsubaki took the box and resigned herself to being carried away by the NOL's greatest enemy. His arms came around her back and under her knee to lift her without effort. Trembling in his grip, Tsubaki burned a glare off the side of his face. That is, until she remembered her sword lying in the grass, a light-year away, or so it felt. With every step, Ragna took her further from the only defense she had against him. If she could just get to Izayoi... She growled to herself, arms crossed beneath her chest, red locks concealing her eyes from him. The first chance she got, she would take the weapon, drive it through his heart, snuff out his rebellion in one stroke...

"Something wrong?" Ragna did not look away from his destination, a copse just outside of the village. Two dozen figures waited beneath the trees, scarcely moving. "Or are you just pissy?"

"Stop talking to me."

"Kay. Pissy it is."

Defiant, Tsubaki looked away as they passed another corpse, a man in a blue uniform. A Librarium officer, cleaved almost in two. Blood crusted on his sword; it nauseated her to think that it was the kind that would create the wound she saw in that first corpse and she decided to look anywhere but him. She focused on the group of survivors up ahead. Light murmurs emanated from the group, but as Ragna brought her closer, they all but ceased. Fear-stricken eyes watched as Ragna placed her down to sit back against a tree. Tsubaki gave him no acknowledgment of thanks, just another heated look. Get away, you bastard. As he stood back up, Ragna said, "Alright, wait there a moment. Gonna go distribute the food here."

"For someone supposedly helping these people, you sure inspire terror in them."

Ragna rolled his eyes and trudged off. "Shut up and eat."

Grumbling to herself, Tsubaki looked down at the box in her hand. Smoldering rage and nettling nausea made her set the box aside; she could eat later. Preferably something healthier, at that. She glanced over at the people nearest to her; a couple of children watching Ragna as he distributed the fruits of his scavenge to others. She crawled over towards them and offered her box of candy to them. "Here you go..."

At once, it seemed that the entire group of survivors had their eyes on her, fearful and damning. The children, who had turned at the sound of her voice, were pallid, frozen. A moment later, a man swept by and guided them back away from her. She just stared for a few moments and then sat back, a tempest of thoughts swirling her mind. Why were they afraid of _her_? And in fact, several conversed with Ragna now that the kids were no longer in danger. She sighed and turned away from the scene. She couldn't understand it. She served an organization that protected people; he had no issues skewering them. Why would they trust the Grim Reaper more than her?

"Hey." Ragna's voice sounded from above and Tsubaki jumped. She had not realized how lost in thought she had been. He took a seat beside her and indicated her thigh. "Alright. Let's try and take care of this, 'kay?"

"...Sure." She wanted to reject him, but there came a point where defiance and logic just ceased to mesh. "What are doing with us?"

"...Huh?"

"Why are you helping people here?" Her fire rekindled, Tsubaki glared, her nose just inches from his. "Hostages? To kill later? Why would someone like you-?"

"I ain't gonna kill anyone here! God _damn_ it, you're annoying…" Ragna broke off for a moment and ran a hand over her cut as silent, gibbered words streamed from his lips. The gash and burn mended slightly and the pain faded to a light burning ache. "That better?"

"Yes. Thank you." It scorched her throat to spout appreciation for him. She glanced back at the crowd. Mirthful chatter sounded from them as they consumed the scraps of food Ragna had procured. Why were they so...? "...What happened here?"

"Huh?"

"The village. The people here clearly trust you. Despite everything that you've done, at that. That tells me that they at least don't believe you were the cause of this calamity. So if it wasn't you..."

"You wanna know what happened? You ain't gonna like it."

"I realize that."

"Library airship flew overhead about two hours ago. Firebombed the place, and then passed back over for a second go. Oh, and then to get rid of witnesses, two units of Library dogs swarmed into the town to kill everyone. I dealt with that bit of bullshit."

She hardly heard what he said. It was too surreal to accept, too blasphemous to be true. The Librarium, the pillar of order that served as society's skeleton...had done _this_? If this was true, she would bring whoever ordered such an attack to justice. "But...why would they...?"

Ragna shrugged. "To get me. They knew I was in the area, so they figured why not bomb the shit out of me. Might work, you know."

"But the people here..."

"Library doesn't give a rat's ass about these independent villages. Not _their_ people, so why should they care if they live or die? That's always been Library policy and you damn well know that." Ragna produced a bottle of water from his jacket and all but forced it into her hands. "If you're not gonna eat, then at least hydrate yourself, idiot. And why the hell were you out in this ass-backwards dump anyways?"

Tsubaki took a sip of the warm water to soothe her parched throat. "Orders. They sent me here to kill you if possible."

"Huh. So they send you on your lonesome to kill me, and then burn the place down while you're here." Ragna gave her a humorless smirk. "Wonder what they think of you, Yayoi."

Tsubaki froze. No. No, that was impossible. She had dedicated her entire life to service in the Librarium. She, the prime daughter of the Yayoi family. They wouldn't repay her by sending her to her death. Yet, even as the inferno of zeal that bound her to the Librarium tried to burn away her doubts, everything sunk in for her. All evidence led back to this being the Librarium's doing, and if it was, then surely they would have known she was there. When she managed to speak, her words her flat, bereft of their eternal fire, meaningless. "...I don't believe you."

"Bullshit." Ragna smirked at her as he rose. He didn't know this woman at all, yet he could already see that this revelation had reduced her passion for the Library to mere embers. "Well, I'm gonna go see if anyone else needs anything. Back in a few."

"Wait!" Tsubaki grabbed the sleeve of his jacket to stall him. "Um...what are you planning to do from here? I mean, we can't just leave these people here..."

"There's a town about a day's walk away. I was gonna take them there." Ragna fought down another smirk. "What about you? Got any idea what you're gonna do?"

"For now, I intend to help you get these people to safety. After that, I don't know." No, she knew alright. A flare of rage erupted inside her. The Librarium had tried to have her killed, with Ragna left to be blamed in all likelihood.

She would not stand for that.

Tsubaki stood up, not even feeling the pain in her leg anymore. "Well then. When do we leave?"

"Damn soon. Library's probably gonna send a squad for clean-up. I'd rather not have to deal with that. Want me to get your sword?"

"Please."


End file.
